A Passion For Speed

It is a personal story of passion, struggle and courage in the constant shadow of death, the tale of motor racing when the man behind the wheel made all the difference — the story of a man who showed no fear, on the track, in the air as a WW2 bomber pilot, or as a POW. It is a gripping account of how a man went to the top of motor racing with very little money behind him, and who through sheer determination and skill made the transition from the amateur to the professional in motor racing — and helped to create a new marque, HWM, along the way.

Available in both Standard (Hardback) and Leather Bound (Collectors) editions.

Produced to the same high standards as previous PJ Publishing books, A Passion for Speed runs to over 400 pages and is currently priced at £60.00 for the Standard edition — less than a tankful of petrol for most people, and over £100.00 less than some motoring books of similar quality. This special introductory price of just £60.00 delivered in the UK (plus shipping elsewhere in the world) will run until until 10 January 2011, after which it will be sold at jacket price of £65.00 plus £8.50 minimum P&P in the UK.

Highly evocative of the period from the 1930s to the 1950s, the life and times of George Abecassis are brought vividly to life not only by unparalleled access to the family archives and interviews with all the surviving friends and associates of George, but also by a photographic feast. No expense has been spared to bring the reader the very best in motor racing photography from the masters of the art — 50 images by Klemantaski, 50 by Geoffrey Goddard, 30 by Guy Griffiths, and many others by Rodolfo Mailander and other fine photographers of the day.

• Chapter 1: The Child is Father to the Man
  Chapter 2: Getting Going
  Chapter 3: A Magnificent Year
  Chapter 4: The Road to War
  Chapter 5: To Fly and to Fight
  Chapter 6: Moonlight Squadron
  Chapter 7: Prisoner of War
  Chapter 8: Starting All Over Again
  Chapter 9: The Birth of the HWM
  Chapter 10: Raising the Flag
  Chapter 11: Flying the Flag Higher
  Chapter 12: The Sports Car Takes Over
  Chapter 13: The Greatest Race
  Chapter 14: Things Fall Apart
  Chapter 15: The Last Lap
  
• Appendix 1: The Cars that George Raced
  Appendix 2: George’s Races
  Appendix 3: Cars Built at Walton
  Appendix 4: John Heath’s Races and HWM Team Races

This exclusive book is selling well and those interested are advised to obtain their copy now by placing an order below.

George Abecassis was one of the last of the amateur drivers whose experience and dedication to the sport made him a semi-professional, and whose successes and efforts both before and after the War made him a household name. His accomplished and courageous driving of his own cars, such as Altas and Bugattis, and in the Aston Martin, HWM and Austin Healey teams, made him an important figure in British racing in its own right.

The HWM marque embraced sports cars (including the HWM-Jaguar seen above right) and Formula Two machines.

The Standard edition and the Leather bound Limited Edition are currently in stock.